''Vikerlased'' (''The Vikings'') is an
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
n
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
in three acts by
Evald Aav
Evald Aav ( – 21 March 1939) was an Estonian composer born in Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire. He studied music composition there with Artur Kapp and wrote primarily vocal music to words in the Estonian language. In 1928 he comp ...
,
his only opera. It is considered to be the first Estonian opera.
The
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
is by Voldemar Loo,
brother of the composer's first wife,
Ida Loo-Talvari
Ida Loo-Talvari (née Ida Loo; 19 June 1901, in Narva, Estonian Governorate, Russian Empire – 29 June 1997, in Stenungsund, near Göteborg, Sweden) was an Estonian opera singer. She was the wife of composer Evald Aav (first marriage) and th ...
. The libretto depicts events related to
Pillage of Sigtuna
The Pillage of Sigtuna was the raid of Swedish town Sigtuna by pagans from Eastern Baltic in 1187. The pillage is most commonly attributed to Estonians or Karelians.
Pillage
According to chronicles the town of Sigtuna was burned down on 12 Augu ...
in 1187.
The premiere was on 8 September 1928 at the
Estonia Theatre in Tallinn,
conducted by
Raimund Kull.
The opera lasts 2 approximately hours and 15 minutes.
See also
References
{{Authority control
1928 operas
Estonian-language operas
Operas set in the 12th century
Operas